Go down in the dungeon. Kill everything you meet. Backstab your friends and steal their stuff. Grab the treasure and run.

Admit it. You love it.

Munchkin is the mega-hit card game about dungeon adventure . . . with none of that stupid roleplaying stuff. You and your friends compete to kill monsters and grab magic items. And what magic items! Don the Horny Helmet and the Boots of Butt-Kicking. Wield the Staff of Napalm . . . or maybe the Chainsaw of Bloody Dismemberment. Start by slaughtering the Potted Plant and the Drooling Slime, and work your way up to the Plutonium Dragon . . .

And it's illustrated by John Kovalic!

Fast-playing and silly, Munchkin can reduce any roleplaying group to hysteria. And, while they're laughing, you can steal their stuff.

All That's Missing Is a Parrot!

Set sail for adventure upon the seven seas . . . or above the spectacular skies, or among sword-and-sorcery associates! This month's Pyramid -- the PDF magazine for roleplayers -- hoists the Jolly Roger and swings from a chandelier to find maritime muses in unlikely ports. This issue's buried treasure includes:

"Swords Against Evil," Sean Punch's expansion of swashbuckling selections for GURPS Dungeon Fantasy. Get four new template options, over a dozen weapons that'll give them an "edge," and insight into power-up possibilities.

"Scurvy-Dog Sorcery," a new magical style from Jason "PK" Levine. See how these sea-dogs' spell lists help them find favor among the waves, and unleash three new GURPS secret spells.

"The Spanish Prisoner," this month's Eidetic Memory offering from David Pulver, the island explorer responsible for GURPS Banestorm: Abydos. Gather a crew and explore the Caribbean in this history-hued adventure (complete with GURPS stats for the folks with whom you'll cross paths -- and swords).

"The Qanat Pirates of Old Than," an incredible campaign framework from Matt Riggsby (of GURPS Locations: Hellsgate and other exotic ports). Take your seafaring underground in this exciting magical realm . . . and use the included deck plans and map to keep your tales on track!

"Sailing the Open Skies," an expansion for GURPS Spaceships that shows that, for a good captain, the sky's the limit! Build your air-sailing vessels using the provided options, or take one of the four prebuilt versions to feel the wind in your face faster than ever.

This month's Pyramid also has a Random Thought Table that shows how you can be a likable nefarious pirate, plus larger player-suitable handouts of the airship maps. With this issue, you'll need time at a tavern to figure out how you're going to use all this wondrous booty!

Official Rules

1. The Munchkin Patch must be sewn to a visible article of clothing you are wearing. Just having the patch confers no bonus!

2. Once per game, when another player uses a Curse, Trap, or Disaster on you, you may reflect it back at him by saying "No, don't throw me into that ol' Munchkin Patch!" You must brandish your Munchkin Patch at him as you say this.

3. If you have different styles of Munchkin Patch, you can use each patch once. Multiple copies of the same patch do not give you extra uses!

Get Behind the Wheel!

This set contains the Car Wars Deluxe Wheelie, plus all the counters from Dueltrack and from Car Wars Expansion Sets3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 -- over 170 counters!

This handy device keeps track of your speed and Handling Class -- and it has a complete Control Table as well. No more little markers to lose or get blown around by random sneezes!

This downloadable edition of the Deluxe Wheelie includes two versions: the original 1986 release, and an updated model that includes revisions from Car Wars Classic and the Second Edition of Car Wars Compendium.

Show Them Who's Boss

While the Rank advantage looks wonderful on paper, it doesn't do much as written. To make an organization work for you, you need to buy it as a Patron. Even then, the benefits of a Patron are only slightly better defined than those of Rank – and unlike Rank, Patrons come in just four levels (6 or less through 15 or less), making it hard to represent fine-grained hierarchies where seniority brings "pull." Wouldn't it be nice to get the best of all worlds . . . not to mention more detail?

Such is the mission of GURPS Social Engineering: Pulling Rank. It expands on the Pulling Rank rules first seen in GURPS Action 1: Heroes, adds the more nuanced reading of Rank found in GURPS Social Engineering, and delivers a system that lets you know the odds of using your Rank to summon a specific kind of assistance. Highlights include:

Instructions for replacing organizational Patrons with Rank and associated advantages and Duties.

Rules for using Rank to make things happen, taking into account story, situation, and personal abilities.

Examples of specific aid – from invitations to the ball, through being sprung from prison, to fire support.

Thoughts on Rank in the campaign: what kinds exist, how many levels PCs can buy, what it means for NPCs, supernatural varieties, and more.

If you've always craved a campaign where the heroes work within the system, seeking believable social position rather than bigger and badder combat abilities, then GURPS Social Engineering: Pulling Rank is for you. Nothing makes promotion quite as attractive as knowing that it brings real power!